When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was reauthorized in 2004, there was a significant change — students were no longer identified with a learning disability if they were at grade level. This meant that many twice-exceptional or 2E students do not qualify for special education services.

That does not mean they are denied the right to take Advanced Placement Classes, but rather, they are not given access to the services that might help them to realize their potential

We have seen some schools and some psychologists alert parents that their gifted child may not reach his or her true potential because of their learning disabilities, ADHD or dyslexia.

When you consider that Edison, Einstein and Steve Jobs may have fit into this category, you wonder why people could have such a lack of understanding for these smart kids with some challenges.

We view many of these students as being right-brain learners. Students who learn best when he or she sees and experiences information. We call these students GOLD Students. For more information you can visit our GOLD Student web page.

In 2013, I found myself in a Florida legislative committee meeting, where I was killing time waiting for a later meeting. I heard Senator Kelli Stargel introduce an amendment to a bill that would require any student who wanted to take an Advanced Placement Class to have a 3.0 or better grade point average.

I heard several people support this amendment and then Senator Stargel asked if there was anyone who wanted to comment on the amendment.

I seized the opportunity and explained that many future brilliant scientists like Einstein and Edison might not have a 3.0 Grade Point Average and would be prevented from taking Advanced Placement Chemistry, Math or Physics if this amendment passed, because they might not have a 3.0. I added we might be preventing a future inventor and even Nobel Prize winner from reaching their potential, because we set an arbitrary grade point average.

I encouraged the committee to not adopt this amendment, because America needed to do everything in our power to foster these creative geniuses, even if they did not have a 3.0 GPA.

Senator Stargel was quick to withdraw the amendment.

Twice-exceptional or 2E kids are often misunderstood. They are a sea of strengths and challenges. They can blow your mind with their math and science skills, they can change they world and they can frustrate teachers and parents, because they may well have learning disabilities, dyslexia and/or ADHD.

Let’s work together to help these Twice-Exceptional or 2E kids to be all they can be.